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Great Minds

Great Minds

Mindfulness, meditation, living in the present... these are all buzz terms you’ve probably heard. Maybe even tried. But if you haven’t yet found your fit, get a taste of various meditation styles from across the world. Learn about Vipassana, Metta or loving kindness meditation, Japanese forest bathing, sound meditation, Hawaiian ho'oponopono and more. Whether you’ve been meditating for years, or this is your first time, these short meditations led by experienced teachers will fit neatly into your day. Versions of the series are also available Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Mandarin and Punjabi.

SBS · SBS Audio

41 episodesEN-US

Show overview

Great Minds has been publishing since 2021, and across the 2 years since has built a catalogue of 41 episodes. That works out to roughly 9 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.

Episodes typically run ten to twenty minutes — most land between 12 min and 16 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Health & Fitness show.

The catalogue appears to be on hiatus or wound down — the most recent episode landed 2.5 years ago, with no new episodes in over a year. The busiest year was 2023, with 21 episodes published. Published by SBS Audio.

Episodes
41
Running
2021–2023 · 2y
Median length
14 min
Cadence
Fortnightly

From the publisher

Mindfulness, meditation, living in the present... these are all buzz terms you’ve probably heard. Maybe even tried. But if you haven’t yet found your fit, get a taste of various meditation styles from across the world. Learn about Vipassana, Metta or loving kindness meditation, Japanese forest bathing, sound meditation, Hawaiian ho'oponopono and more. Whether you’ve been meditating for years, or this is your first time, these short meditations led by experienced teachers will fit neatly into your day. Versions of the series are also available Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Mandarin and Punjabi.

Latest Episodes

View all 41 episodes

Bonus interview: Shanti Gowans

Vipassana is a meditation practice which originated in India. The word 'Vipassana' can be translated from Sanskrit as insight. Shanti Gowans has been sharing Vipassana for decades in her work as a yoga and meditation teacher. In this conversation with Sarah Malik, Shanti shares her knowledge of Vipassana, how you can get started with meditation, and how a meditation practice has changed her life.

Nov 2, 202310 min

Vipassana meditation 3: Calming the mind

Vipassana requires mindful awareness - observing your body, breath, feelings, thoughts and emotions. In this Vipassana meditation, teacher Shanti Gowans has you focus on calming the mind. Let your mind accept whatever catches your attention without becoming emotionally involved with it, and tune into the greater whole.

Oct 30, 202315 min

Vipassana meditation 2: Breath like the wind

Vipassana is a mindfulness meditation practice that works through self-observation, one of India's oldest meditation practices. In this episode of Great Minds, teacher Shanti Gowans takes you through a meditation on your breath.

Oct 30, 202316 min

Vipassana meditation 1: Body like a mountain

Join in a Vipassana meditation in this episode of Great Minds. Vipassana can be translated as 'insight'. It's a mindfulness meditation practice that works through self-observation. Your guide is teacher Shanti Gowans from Shanti Yoga. Take a seat for a relaxing and energising body scan focused on posture.

Oct 30, 202318 min

Bonus interview: Wallace Lee

Sarah Malik chats with Wallace Lee who has been your guide for the three Tonglen meditations in this season of Great Minds. Wallace is an instructor with Rigpa Australia, a network of Tibetan Buddhist Meditation centres around Australia. He speaks about what the practice of Tonglen involves, and how a challenging time in his life led Wallace to meditation.

Oct 26, 202310 min

Tonglen meditation 3: Sending compassion to others

This Tonglen meditation is a visualisation focused on expressing compassion towards another person. When practicing Tonglen towards others, you are encouraged to take on others' sufferings, and give out happiness and wellbeing - reversing our habitual way of responding to discomfort. This sending and receiving is aligned with the breath.

Oct 23, 202317 min

Tonglen meditation 2: Self-compassion

This episode is a guided practice of self-compassion. Instructor Wallace Lee shares teachings from the Tibetan meditation practice of Tonglen, which is based in the concept of giving and receiving, or sending and taking. Breathing in negative feelings and discomfort, and breathing out health, happiness, and wellbeing.

Oct 23, 202315 min

Tonglen meditation 1: "Unsealing the spring"

In this guided meditation, Wallace Lee introduces you to a Tibetan meditation practice called Tonglen, which is based in the concept of giving and receiving compassion. This episode explores the theme of reconnecting to the love within us, unsealing the spring of love and compassion that is inherent and limitless in all of us.

Oct 23, 202316 min

Bonus interview: Natalie Grace

If you've listened to any of our three sound bath meditations, get to know your guide Natalie Grace in this conversation with Sarah Malik. Learn about Natalie's work, and the benefits of music therapy and sound meditation.

Oct 19, 202313 min

Sound bath meditation 3: Harmonising

In this episode of Great Minds, sound therapist and energy healer Natalie Grace leads you through a body scan and meditative sound bath using chimes, crystal singing bowls, gentle drumming, rain sticks and gong. The theme of this sound journey is harmonising and developing self compassion.

Oct 16, 202316 min

Sound bath meditation 2: Release

In this episode of Great Minds, sound therapist and energy healer Natalie Grace leads you through a sound bath meditation using gongs, drums and Tibetan singing bowls. The theme of this sound journey is release. Great ready to let go.

Oct 16, 202315 min

Sound bath meditation 1: Reflection

In this episode of Great Minds season two, sound therapist Natalie Grace settles you into a deeply relaxing sound bath meditation using Tibetan singing bowls and rain sticks. The theme of this sound journey is reflection.

Oct 16, 202315 min

Bonus interview: Kynan Tan

If you've listened to any of the three Mettā or Loving Kindness meditations in this season of Great Minds, get to know teacher Kynan Tan in this conversation with host Sarah Malik. Learn what Mettā is, how Kynan found his way to meditation, and how it might help you in your everyday life.

Oct 12, 202310 min

Mettā meditation 3: Accepting and welcoming your experiences

In this Mettā or Loving Kindness meditation, you will be offering kindness and goodwill towards all of your experiences, to find a sense of calm and peace through acceptance.

Oct 9, 202313 min

Mettā meditation 2: Feeling loving kindness towards another

Mettā or Loving Kindness meditation comes from the Buddhist tradition. In this meditation, our guide Kynan Tan has you offering kindness to someone you feel goodwill towards. Feel the pleasantness and warmth that comes from sharing kindness with others.

Oct 9, 202313 min

Mettā meditation 1: Practice loving kindness towards yourself

In this gentle episode of Great Minds, Kynan Tan will lead you through a Mettā meditation that is focused on offering kindness to yourself. Mettā meditation or Loving Kindness meditation is a type of Buddhist meditation. As Kynan says, "You need to live in your head, Mettā practice can make your mind a nicer place to be".

Oct 9, 202315 min

Bonus interview: Nicole Smede

If you've listened to the Ngarayamūrah meditations that lead season two of Great Minds, get to know Warrimay Birrbay artist Nicole Smede in this conversation with Sarah Malik. Ngarayamūrah is a Gammēya-Dharrawal word explaining a listening to and connecting with Country. Nicole explains deep listening, and her practice as a multidisciplinary artist.

Oct 5, 202313 min

Ngarayamūrah meditation 3: Ngaranga Yurra Barray, listening to sky Country

In this third Ngarayamūrah meditation, Warrimay Birrbay artist Nicole Smede will lead you through a meditation about listening to sky Country, Yurra Barray. Imagine you are laying under a vast, open sky that stretches out in all directions, adorned with mirriiyn (stars).

Oct 2, 202317 min

Ngarayamūrah meditation 2: Ngaranga Garuwa Barray, listening to sea Country

In this second Ngarayamūrah meditation, Warrimay Birrbay artist Nicole Smede will lead you through a meditation about listening to ocean Country, garuwa barray. Imagine you are walking on the sand of great beach towards shimmering waves, warm golden sand stretching out either side of you.

Oct 2, 202312 min

Ngarayamūrah meditation 1: Ngaranga Barray, Listening to Country

In this first episode of Great Minds season two, Warrimay Birrbay artist Nicole Smede will lead you through a beautiful Ngarayamūrah meditation, about listening to Country. Ngarayamūrah is a Gammēya-Dharrawal word explaining a listening to and connecting with Country. This meditation was created along the banks of Bungali (the Shoalhaven River) on Gammēya-Dharrawal lands. Imagine you are walking under a canopy of eucalyptus trees, their branches and leaves stretch out high above you, enfolding you and offering protection.

Oct 2, 202313 min
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